Jim Mertens

Anchor

Jim and Julie Sisk co-anchor our full morning coverage on "Good Morning Quad Cities" and the one-hour midday broadcast, "News 8 at 11".

Jim, Julie, and meteorologist James Zahara have been together on "Good Morning Quad Cities" since 2006.

Before coming to mornings, Jim was the anchor and producer of "News 8 at 6:30" and a reporter for "News 8 at 10". He's also anchored the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, the weekend broadcasts, and was a reporter on the streets when he joined the WQAD News 8 team in 1995.

Jim is also the host of "The Cities", a weekly half-hour public affairs program seen on WQPT-TV, the Quad Cities PBS station.

Before coming to the Quad Cities, Jim worked at WWMT-TV in Kalamazoo, Michigan as an anchor and reporter for six years. Prior to that, Jim was an anchor and reporter for seven years at WEAU-TV in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

He got his start in radio in 1978 at WFON-FM in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He later joined WAXX/WAYY Radio Stations in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he would start as an overnight Country music announcer before working in the station's radio news department as a reporter and anchor.

Jim is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire School of Journalism. He's received numerous reporting awards from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. His long-form reporting earned him first place awards with the Iowa Associated Press, the Iowa Broadcast News Association, and the Illinois News Broadcasters Association.

Jim has been president of the Iowa Broadcast News Association (www.ibna.org) and is a past president of the Northwest Broadcast News Association (www.nbna.info), an organization serving broadcast journalists in six Midwestern states.

Recent Articles

  • Ski Resorts Making Snow

    Posted on: 8:52 am, November 27, 2012, by , updated on: 08:59am, November 27, 2012

    Snow making operations start at area ski resorts as cold overnight temperatures settle in the region
    Read More ›

    chesnut mountain resort
  • Ag in the AM: Mississippi River levels falling

    Posted on: 8:20 am, November 27, 2012, by

    Farmers worried as Missouri River drawdown impacts the Mississippi River at St. Louis
    Read More ›

  • Deere Announces Moline Upgrade

    Posted on: 12:10 pm, November 26, 2012, by

    Deere and Company to invest $58 Million in Moline seeding plant
    Read More ›

    DeereSeeding
  • Chef Scott: Leftover Turkey Hoagie

    Posted on: 11:46 am, November 22, 2012, by , updated on: 07:41am, November 23, 2012

    Got leftovers? Of course you do! Here's Chef Scott's great solution for that after-Thanksgivng snack
    Read More ›

  • Illinois AG Warns About Holiday Shopping Deals

    Posted on: 10:07 am, November 20, 2012, by , updated on: 10:36am, November 20, 2012

    Attorney General releases new holiday shopping guide
    Read More ›

  • Ag in the AM: Farm Input Sought in Nitrate Report

    Posted on: 4:48 am, November 20, 2012, by , updated on: 08:08am, November 20, 2012

    State group seeking farmer input on farm runoff study
    Read More ›

  • Shortened Week on Wall Street

    Posted on: 8:21 am, November 19, 2012, by

    Thanksgiving-shortened trading week still busy for investors
    Read More ›

  • Ag in the AM: EPA Rejects Ethanol Reduction Request

    Posted on: 7:33 am, November 19, 2012, by

    Area farm groups support EPA decision to not relax ethanol requirements due to the drought
    Read More ›

  • Ag in the AM: Soybean Yields Higher

    Posted on: 8:19 am, November 13, 2012, by

    Iowa and Illinois farmers are producing more soybeans per acre than estimated last month.
    Read More ›

    farm equipment
  • “Fiscal Cliff” Affects Area Stockholders

    Posted on: 8:22 am, November 12, 2012, by

    Political showdown over taxes and budget cuts impacting local investors
    Read More ›

  • Ag in the AM: Illinois Corn Yields Higher, Iowa Lower

    Posted on: 8:03 am, November 12, 2012, by

    Illinois corn yield estimates higher, Iowa's lower in November report
    Read More ›

  • GMQC Visits Julie Before Her Return

    Posted on: 8:49 am, November 9, 2012, by

    "Good Morning Quad Cities" anchor Julie Sisk to return Monday after maternity leave
    Read More ›

    Julie Sisk